Ethanol extract of Paridis rhizoma attenuates carrageenan-induced paw swelling in rats by inhibiting the production of inflammatory factors.

CONTEXT: Inflammation has been identified as a key factor contributing to the development of numerous diseases. Several anti-inflammatory drugs have been developed to treat inflammation-related diseases. However, some of such drugs are associated with varying degrees of side effects. Therefore, it is imperative to develop new anti-inflammatory drugs with reducing side effects for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases. Natural anti-inflammatory drugs have emerged as an important area of research in recent years. The study was to determine the anti-inflammatory mechanism of Paridis rhizoma extract (PRE) in rat models of acute inflammation induced by carrageenan and RAW264.7 cells models induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: PRE was investigated using the carrageenan-induced paw oedema model on rats in vivo. Histopathology examined the extent of inflammatory infiltration and tissue damage. The effect of PRE on the levels of specific cytokines was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The Cell Counting Kit (CCK)-8 assay evaluated the cytotoxic effects of PRE on Raw264.7 cells. The mRNA expression levels of cytokines were quantified using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Western blot measured TNF-α, IL6, TLR4, p-P65, p-IKB, HO1, SOD1 and SOD2. Fluorescence measured the cellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). RESULTS: PRE treatment reduced interstitial edema and structural damage in a dose-dependent manner in vivo. PRE inhibited inflammatory responses in vivo and in vitro, as evidenced by the decreased expression of inflammatory factors, production of ROS, and increased expression of SOD1, SOD2, and HO1. Moreover, PRE inhibited the activity of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) pathway. CONCLUSION: The anti-inflammatory activity and potential mechanism of PRE were demonstrated according to the results. PRE reduced LPS-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells by inhibiting the NF-KB signaling pathway and ROS production in vitro. PRE alleviated interstitial edema and structural damage in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model on rats in vivo. This study provided an idea for future development of PR-based anti-inflammatory drugs.

Traditional Chinese medicine is a useful and promising alternative strategy for treatment of Sjogren's syndrome: A review.

Primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) is a chronic autoimmune disease involving exocrine glands. Current studies have found that the occurrence of the disease is closely related to genetic, environmental and neuroendocrine factors, as well as abnormal activation of T and B lymphocytes. The etiology and pathogenesis of pSS is complex, and there is a lack of specific targeted drugs. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have been comprehensively investigated for their treatment effects on pSS. Through a systematic review of the literature, we summarized the TCMs used to treat pSS, and find that there are four major ways that TCMs are used, including upregulation of aquaporin proteins, suppression of cell apoptosis, suppression of the abnormal activation of B lymphocytes and suppression of the abnormal activation of T lymphocytes (balancing T helper type [Th]1/Th2 & Th17/Treg and suppressing follicular helper T [Tfh] cells). However, there are not enough data about the active constituents, quality control, pharmacokinetics, toxicity and modern preparations of these TCMs; therefore, more investigations are needed. This paper highlights the importance of TCMs for treating pSS and provides guidance for future investigations.